Right now, there is no hotter franchise in any media than Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Saga. Meyer’s novels have been blockbuster bestsellers, and the adaptation of the series first installment, last year’s Twilight, made megastars of its two previously unknown leads, Robert Pattinson (who plays vampire Edward Cullen) and Kristen Stewart (who plays Edward’s human love, Bella). Of course, both tabloids and fans have followed the are-they-or-aren’t-they real-life relationship between Pattinson and Stewart, but when we sat down with the two actors—separately—to discuss the Saga’s brand-new second installment, New Moon, that subject was off-limits. (Drat!) Still, both charismatic actors had a lot to say about their lives, their careers and their star-crossed characters.
Kristen Stewart
Q: You used to be shy and sensitive. Do you think Twilight has changed you?
Kristen Stewart: I think I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with talking about myself to a lot of people. And that always intimidated me so much that I minced every word that came out of my mouth! You know, I couldn’t finish a sentence because I was so concerned about how it was going to sound. And I didn’t want to come across insincere about something that I really love to do. So I realized that instead of refraining from saying that I’ve put my heart and soul into this thing and I love it, that’s what I should have said. Instead of, like, the really logical, over-analytical reason why I love it. So I’ve gotten more comfortable with that. But the whole rumor and tabloid stuff, it’s obviously so false to me. Look, even before I became a part of it, once I sort of became a star, it’s like a show. It’s like a ridiculous show.
Q: You mean like a soap opera with your name on it?
KS: Exactly. But I don’t take it personally. And luckily, because I’ve had so much experience, it’s gotten easier to talk about the work.
Q: How do you draw the line between your private life, and what the public wants to know about you?
KS: I don’t know. I don’t think that anyone can get a handle on that. It’s like, as soon as I stopped trying to control everything that came out of my mouth, that’s when I became so much happier, and it was so much easier to deal with. But it wasn’t like it was a turning point. I’ve just grown into not having to care so much, and to not try to think that I’m going to be able to plan out the way that everyone perceives me. And you know, everyone’s impression of you is going to be what it is, in that isolated moment. But I’m always going to keep what’s important to me in mind. And I completely understand why people want to know more about us, and they want us to be together and all of that. I just sort of have to not think about it. But there’s an incredibly large group of people that spend most of their time considering other people’s lives. And that’s strange to me. I can’t have anything to do with that, or else I step in and mess it up for myself. So I just let it sort of fall by the wayside, and it doesn’t really affect me.
Q: Are you protective of Bella?
KS: I’m very protective of her. I feel a shared ownership. It’s weird. And if you were to talk about the character in a way that was not at all thought out or flippant, I would be right there to say that you didn’t know what you were talking about. I’m so defensive of her. I feel like I like her a lot. And I think I can just say, yes.
Q: Bella is so messed up emotionally. So do you worry about young girls seeing her as a role model?
KS: It’s a very extreme story. The only way that I can justify that, and maybe I’m an immature girl as well, I really feel like if you feel like you need to do it, then you need to do it. “It” being anything. Then, after you’re told that you’ve made a mistake and that you’re wrong, if you’re willing to say that you made a mistake and that you’re going to try the next thing, there’s nothing to be ashamed of there at all. Be extreme. Go for it. I think that’s the point. I know this is a movie about immortality, but you live once.
Robert Pattinson
Q: So how has Twilight changed your life?
Robert Pattinson: I guess it’s inevitable that you become more comfortable. You still fight against some things. But there’s nothing really scary about the franchise itself. And I like all the people I work with. But I haven’t had a sustained period of time where I’ve been off. So I don’t know how it’s really changed. I still feel like I’m pretty much exactly the same. Which is maybe not a good thing!
Q: Do you and Edward Cullen have anything at all in common?
RP: I guess stubbornness, in some ways, about some things. He’s pretty self-righteous, and I get quite obsessive about things. And possessive as well.
Q: What are your favorite things about Edward?
RP: He makes a mistake that’s acknowledged by everybody, including himself. Also, he is totally undermined by more powerful creatures, and he’s undermined emotionally by people as well. That’s what humanized it. But since I read the book, I always liked him as a character. And I’ve tried to play that same feeling throughout the films. He’s the hero of the story that just refuses to accept that he’s the hero. And I think that’s kind of admirable.
Q: Love plays such a major part of these films, and so many fans want what happens on the screen to happen in your real life. How do you separate falling in love in real life?
RP: You’ve always got to remember that you’re being paid! There’s a lot of connotations that come with that. So that’s one of the major separations.
Q: With everything that you’ve got going on now, how do you keep your life from just being a blur?
RP: It is just a blur! There are random moments which stand out, but I’ve been working so much this year that it’s almost like living in an alternate reality. The hours on a film set are so long, that you’re doing doctor hours. And every doctor that I’ve ever spoken to says the same thing, that you have no idea what’s going on, other than working. You’re away from your family and friends, and all that stuff.
Q: With all of the fan encounters that you’ve had, has there been anything that’s just made you laugh?
RP: Yeah, a lot of the time! Recently, I have less direct interaction with people, because there’s way more security and stuff. But I always find it funny when older people come up. There was a woman who came up to me the other day who must have been in her 90s! So that’s very unusual. And, they say exactly the same things as 12-year-old girls! That is kind of bizarre.
Q: What’s the weirdest or funniest thing you’ve ever read or heard about yourself?
RP: Recently, some magazine had on the cover that I was pregnant. I was just like, wow! And it was without a hint of irony or anything. I didn’t really know what to make of that one. I don’t even know if that qualifies as libelous, because they can just say, well it’s obviously fiction. And I saw a couple of comments under the article saying, that’s why he always wears jackets. He always wears layers, to hide it!